1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a touch panel having a touch sensor. In addition, the present invention relates to an electronic device provided with the touch panel.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a display device provided with a touch sensor has attracted attention. The display device provided with a touch sensor is called a touch panel, a touch screen, and the like (hereinafter simply referred to as a “touch panel”). Examples of the touch sensor include a resistive touch sensor, a capacitance touch sensor, and an optical touch sensor, which are different from each other in operation principle. In any of the sensors, an object to be detected is in contact with a display device or in the vicinity of the display device, whereby data can be input.
A display screen also serves as an input region by provision of a sensor (also referred to as a “photosensor”) which detects light as an optical touch sensor for a touch panel. As an example of a device including such an optical touch sensor, a display device having an image capturing function, which is provided with a contact area sensor that captures an image, is given (e.g., see Reference 1). In the case of the touch panel having an optical sensor, light is emitted from the touch panel. In the case where an object to be detected exists at a given position of the touch panel, light at the region where the object exists is blocked by the object, and part of the light is reflected. A photosensor (also referred to as a “photoelectric conversion element”) which can detect light is provided in a pixel of the touch panel, and the photosensor detects the reflected light, so that the existence of the object in the region where light is detected can be recognized.
In addition, it has been attempted to provide a personal authentication function or the like for an electronic device typified by a portable information terminal such as a mobile phone (e.g., see Reference 2). A finger print, a face, a hand print, a palm print, a pattern of hand veins, and the like are used for personal authentication. In the case of where a portion other than the display portion has a personal authentication function, the number of components increases, and the weight or price of the electronic device could possibly increase.
In addition, as for touch sensor systems, known is a technique for selecting an image processing method by which the position of a finger-tip is detected in accordance with brightness of external light (e.g., see Patent Document 3).